Instagram has been pretty busy over the past few weeks. First it launched profile pages that finally gave users the chance to view someone’s entire photo set. Then it got even bolder when it announced that Twitter would no longer be displaying Instagram photos in the tweets. And to top things off, it has now released a brand new version of its application, now with a redesigned news feed, brand new filter, and other improvements.
Calling it one of the “largest upgrades” to the Instagram iOS camera since it was revamped just a year ago, the key to the success of this service is the camera. Is anyone surprised? The camera is the bread and butter of the application — and with this update, it’s being brought up to par with the rest of the features.
In version 3.2, it will now have an Instagram-themed shutter and shutter release button (it’s all about branding), the ability to preview your most recent photo on your camera roll, optional gride lines for live photos along with a more permanent one for scaling and cropping, and now the application is supposedly faster and more reliable. For those with an iPhone 5, your Instagram version will contain a Camera Roll image selector that allows quick access to the most recent photograph.
Interestingly enough, if you look at the new camera, the styling of how it’s designed almost resembles that of a more vintage device — it doesn’t seem like you’re using a smartphone, perhaps tying back to Instagram’s logo of being more vintage than modern. The previous version had a camera that seemed to lack some personal feel to it while this design harps back to the days of old when families didn’t have sophisticated dSLR cameras or fancy point & shoots — instead, it might make people nostalgic for when they had those disposable cameras or even the ones that required 35mm film (remember those?).
Meet the newest filter to the Instagram family
In addition to the improved camera, Instagram has released a new filter that can be applied to any photo you please. It’s available now for both iOS and Android devices and is called Willow. The company describes it as a “monochrome filter with subtle purple tones and a translucent glowing white border”. You might say it’s best paired up with portraits, still life, and architecture photographs that have some contrast to it.
Read more: Ken Yeung, TNW
